


wiegenlied: learning spirit

by recoilshipping



Series: clôture and a wiegenlied (Aku no Monogatari AU) [6]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:20:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21884392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/recoilshipping/pseuds/recoilshipping
Summary: earth gets a chance to learn more about humanity
Series: clôture and a wiegenlied (Aku no Monogatari AU) [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1494158
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	1. .

Tranquil forest.

Boring forest.

Sunavalon says that it's wonderful for the forest to be this way.

Over a thousand years, I've learned many things.

Flower.

Seed.

Stone.

Spring.

Wind.

Soil.

But many things are still a mystery.

I don't get humans at all.

So I don't understand

Why is he crying?

Humans are so curious.

I'd like to know more about them. 


	2. section 1

_Earth ~Elphegort, Lake of Amusement~_

"Sunavalon is going to be furious at me." I think.

I'd gone out to the western shore of the lake, just outside the forest. That was where humans had their trauben fruit farms. Little purple and blue trauben fruits don't grow natively in the Sunavalon forest, but they're a favorite treat amongst us spirits. We can't eat while we're in spirit form, but we can in our animal forms. 

So taking bird form (honestly, why does Roboppy insist on being a chipmunk so often? paws? wings are more useful.) I ate a few trauben than started picking some more to take back to the other spirits.

But a raccoon snuck up on me, and started eating the trauben as I collected them. I thought it was another spirit, but when I tried to talk to it, it broke my wing, and then took off with the fruit I had gathered. 

Outside of the forest, I can't change back into spirit form to quickly heal this injury. It's going to be a long, painful walk back. 

Or maybe not. 

Through the low branches of the trauben bushes, I see a human face looking at me. It's the boy from the other day.

"Oh my, I don't think wings are supposed to bend that way." he says as he scoops me out from the underbrush. "Yup, definitely broken. Poor thing." he notes as he views my injury under the daylight. 

"I could say the same about you," I say to him, staring at the fresh bruise on his face. Though he probably just heard a weak chirp.

"Let's get you home to do something about that wing." the boy says as he adjusts his hands to carry me more carefully, and starts walking along the rows of trauben fruit. 

"I think it'd be nice to give you a name." he states after a while. We've passed by the lake shore. 

"I already have one. It's Earth." I tell him, but I think he mistook my tweets for agreement, as he starts suggesting names.

"How about Trauben, since it looks like you've been eating them?"

I shake my head no, part in response to him and also to see if my beak was stained blue and purple again. Roboppy and the other spirits do say I have a habit of getting messy when eating.

"No? Then perhaps just Birdie?"

Another shake no. 

The boy frowns. "No again? I'll try to think of something else then." 

I thought humans couldn't understand us spirits, but this one seems very good at reading body language. That's a form of communication in itself, isn't it?  
  
"Chi? For your-"

But he's interrupted by another human that we both neglected to notice as we walked past.

"Talking to a bird? Gee Spectre, guess us calling you a bird brain went straight to your head!" she cackles at her own words.

 _"So his name is Spectre."_ I think to myself.

Spectre doesn't say anything to her, but his pace is a little faster than he'd previously been walking. Thankfully, the other girl is busy laughing at her own joke, and doesn't pursue. 

Our walk ends in front of a shabby little building that's a little ways away from a larger cluster of buildings. A village. Spectre opens its entrance-way. I think it's called a door. 

Once, there'd been human dwellings in the Sunavalon Forest, mostly belonging to woodcutters and their families. Most had become decrepit little things as humans stopped living in the forest, instead gathering in big groups to live in villages. Us spirits sometimes hang around the abandoned buildings. 

"Mother, I'm home." Spectre quietly calls out.

I look around the room to look for the person Spectre is talking too, but I don't see anyone. There seems to be another room connected to this one through another door, but it's closed.

"She must be asleep." he sighs as he puts me down on a little table next to a glass-paned window.

He crosses the room to a big cabinet, and fetches a smaller box from within it. The small box he places next to me before opening it and pulling out a strip of cloth. Gently holding my broken wing, he begins to wrap the cloth around it.

"This should help your wing heal." he says when he's done.

I try moving my wing, but with the bandages limiting my movement I couldn't. 

"Binding that wound too tightly will just hurt the bird more, Spectre." a woman says.

"Ah, mother," Spectre turns to face the woman, "I didn't hear you get up. Are you feeling a bit better today?"

An elderly woman stands where the door had formerly been closed. 

"So these two are 'parent' and 'child.'" I think.

"Somewhat. I'll fix up our guest's wing, you go get him something to eat." she directs her son, before pulling up a chair next to the table I'm on.

Spectre leaves the house, and the old woman undoes the bandages before wrapping them around my wing again.

"There we go," she ties the cloth ends to prevent them from coming undone, "and in about two weeks you'll be good as new."

"Two weeks!?" I can't help but exclaim. What a long time to be injured for.

The woman's eyebrows rise at my outburst. The door opens and Spectre returns, bringing two little baskets with him. He puts them down and pulls a wriggly worm out of one of them.

"Eat up." he puts the worm in front of my face, and I quickly turn away. That might be an appropriate meal for an actual bird, but it's a hard pass from me.

"First names, now food. You sure are picky, little bird." Dropping the worm back into the basket, he reaches into the other one and pulls out a few trauben fruits. "This better?"

I nod enthusiastically, and begin to eat them from his palm. 

"Guess you only eat trauben," Spectre comments, and I pick away some of the soil that's clinging to his hand. It must've been from when he was digging up worms. "I'm going to call you Loam."

I chirp in agreement. It's close enough, since I don't think he'll be able to guess Earth. 

"What a peculiar bird, eating berries instead of insects. Maybe it's a forest spirit." Spectre's mother muses.

I stop eating.

"This type of bird is omnivorous, Mother. It's nothing unusual." Spectre retorts.

What was it that Sunavalon always says? "Those youngin's lack faith?" Something like that. 

"And if gods and spirits really did exist, wouldn't our lives be a little easier?" he asks no one in particular. I look up to see his eyes blankly staring out the window.

His hand emptied of trauben, Spectre heads to the door again.

"You're going out again?" the woman asks her son.

"Yes, I still have work to do. I'll be back later."

His mother frowns as he leaves. "Forgive him, he can be a bit of a downer." she smiles as she gives me a few more trauben to eat.

But I don't think that's the only thing that's going on around here.

Two weeks went by, and slowly but surely the pain in my wing dulled until I could barely feel it. I should be able to fly again soon.

Spectre's mother seems to be of poor health. She's been bedridden almost the whole time. So the one taking care of me is Spectre.

He would feed me trauben out of his hand while talking about how he'd spent his day. None of his stories were particularly happy, usually involving him being scolded for some mishap.

At least he seemed to cheer up when talking to me. His hand gets stained from trauben juice as I eat, and he jokes that I'm a talented artist.

He'd also built a bird cage from some wood scraps, but the spacing between the bars was wide enough to let me hop in and out as I pleased, so it wasn't much of a cage. 

When he didn't have to work at the trauben farm by the lake, there was a large communal vegetable plot he helped out in that I could see when I sat by the window. Other humans did more lazing about than working, but not Spectre, who diligently tended to the different plants. He might be able to get more work done if he had proper tools, instead of broken ones. Or maybe if the others helped him instead of going out of their way to bully him. They'd knock him over, pester him, and overall keep him from doing well.

Their aggression was so bad some days that Spectre would come home with fresh bruises and cuts, but he didn't talk with me about those. 

I'm learning quite a lot about human behavior.

The next day I heard something hit the window. Hopping out of the cage I went to go see what it could be. And when I saw who it was, I pushed the window open. 

"Earth! I found you!" 

"Roboppy!" 

The little chipmunk scampers inside the open window and onto the table. 

"I can't believe that you've been cooped up in this place. What happened to you?" 

"Broken wing. But it's healed now. How'd you know to look here?" I ask them.

"I'll tell you on the way back. C'mon, let's get moving." they start towards the window and motion for me to follow, but I hesitate a bit. 

"Wait. I want to say bye first."

"Huh? Why?"

The door to the other room opens and Spectre's mother walks out of it. 

"Your friend came all this way to get you. No need to keep them waiting. You spirits are busy little things, after all." 

"Wait, you knew? You can understand us?" I ask her. 

She nods. "I used to work as a shaman. It's too bad Spectre is so skeptical, or I would've let you know sooner." 

"Incredible. And thank you for letting me stay here."

"I should be the one thanking you. I haven't seen my son express any joy for years until you showed up."

"It...was nothing. I was happy to meet him too."

"How nice that he finally made a friend."

"You mean that Spectre isn't friends with anyone else in the village?"

"You've looked out the window, haven't you? He doesn't fit in with the others, no matter what he tries. There's always something they just can't seem to look past. His behavior, or even things he can't help."

"Can't help? Like what?"

"His origins. I adopted him after he was found in the woods, but no one knows why he was out there in the first place. Doing so is thought to be bad luck, but thankfully the village still allows us to live here."

"It's sad that humans would be mean about others' circumstances. There's no reason for it."

"I guess it would seem that way to a spirit. Here, take some trauben for the road. Take care now." She fetches some fruits from the basket and sets them on the table for me.

"Thank you again." Giving my wings a light flap, there's a little pain but not so much that I couldn't make the trip back to the forest. I pick up the trauben with my claws. 

"Good-bye, I'll come back to play sometime!"

Roboppy was waiting on the window sill, having grown bored of the conversation. We left the little house, and Spectre's mother waved from the window as we headed home. 

On our way, I kept an eye out for Spectre, but I wasn't able to see him anywhere. 

I'd wanted to thank him too.


	3. section 2

_Earth ~Elphegort, Millennium Tree Forest~_

"That was exhausting." I sigh. 

"Who knew Sunavalon still had it in her to lecture you for twelve whole hours." Roboppy floats in spirit form above me. 

"You'd think I broke my wing from some careless blunder, not that a raccoon did it. She didn't have to yell so much." I whine.

"Well, you did leave the forest without permission."

A frustrated groan escapes me. "Whose side are you on?"

"The bright side."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny. Not."

"The other spirits think that joke is funny."

"..."

"Ok yeah, they don't. But I'm serious, just look on the bright side. Thankfully it's over."

"I guess..."

"Earth, we're basically immortal as long as Sunavalon remains here. But that's just in spirit form. Transforming lets us have contact with objects and stuff, but it also means we can be hurt. And if you get hurt too bad, you die." 

"I know, I know."

"And when you die, you're gone. Forever. I don't want Earth to be gone forever." The air around them seems more still. 

For all their little quirks and bad jokes, Roboppy isn't bad. 

"I'm sorry for worrying you."

"It's ok. You should go apologize to Sunavalon too."

"I will. See you later."

And I went off to do just that. Sunavalon was a lot calmer than yesterday, so I was able to get through my apology smoother than the explanations of why I'd been gone for so long that I had to stammer to get across.

"Thank you, Earth. I'm sorry too, I shouldn't've gotten so worked up either. Remember, all you spirits are like precious children to me."

"I know. Next time I leave the forest I'll get permission first."

"Good, good." She yawns and her canopy droops. "I need to sleep. Night."

And she immediately drifts into a deep slumber. 

"It seems she got really exhausted from all that yelling," I think. Then I notice someone approaching. It doesn't sound like Ai, who could it-

"Spectre!"

But before I could try to theorize why he was here, he knelt in prayer, even though I remember him saying he didn't believe. I stood closer by to listen since he was whispering.

"I don't understand why they treat me so bad. No one else seems to get quite the same scorn that I do. It's lonely, to keep living with them when they don't care at all. I felt inadequate, like I didn't matter and nothing was worthwhile. That it would be better if I didn't exist at all. For a long time, I thought it was my fault and that it was just impossible for me to get along with anyone or do anything right." 

His eyes are closed. I don't think I'd be able to say such sad things as calmly as he is. 

"Then when I met Loam, a bird that was injured, I was able to see that I was capable of doing good things. Even though all our conversations were one-sided, I felt like we really understood each other. That brought me real happiness, and gave me the courage to try talking to other villagers again. Yet the results didn't change. I still got yelled at."

I had barely done anything, I didn't think my presence could impact someone so much. 

"Loam left the house while I was out. It had to happen eventually; he probably has his own home and friends. It'd be selfish for me to keep him locked up and away from them. For now, I still have my mother, but she's sick and probably won't be alive for much longer. When she dies, and I'm..."

He pauses to take a breath.

"And I'm left to fend for myself, I don't know if I'll be able to handle it."

Another few deep breaths.

"God, I never truly even tried to believe in such an existence before. However, if there is...if such an entity is real...I wouldn't make a grand request like to be reborn and have a different life free of all of this one's sufferings..."

Teardrops shine on his cheeks. It doesn't seem right, for such a beautiful thing to be caused by such sadness. 

"But maybe, if I could have a friend, things could be different. So please, it could be anyone. I just want a friend."

Spectre left without another word. 

None of his prayer was heard by Sunavalon, sound asleep. And me, who'd heard every word, was unable to help. 

It was frustrating. 

When Sunavalon awoke, I tried to discuss with her what could be done to help Spectre. 

"It is not within our power to help him. The rules of this universe dictate that Gods not interfere with humans."

She always says that. 

"Oh ho~. Then what do you call my task, hm?"  
  
The sorcerer, Ai Clockworker, is back today. Sunavalon says he is a human, but I've never seen a human live as long as him. It's been over 500 years, and he's still alive. When I first saw him, he'd had a completely different appearance. Not from aging or natural processes, but by doing something called a 'Body Swap.' He'd moved his soul into a new body, probably to help maintain immortality. 

Their friendship is a strange one. In fact, why is Sunavalon friends with a human in the first place? I wonder...

"The issue of the 'Vessels of Deadly Sin' is a special case. That is why you are gathering them."

"Then you've picked a couple spirits to help, right?"

"Why do you need more than one?"

Ai puts a palm to his forehead. "For goodness sake, can't you tell? It's faint, but there's traces of a vessel here in Elphegort too. It might be another part of the mirror."

"Oh, so you did notice it. And here I thought you were slacking off."

"...I'll ignore that. Either way, I can't be looking for the vessel here in Elphegort while also dealing with the demon possessing Windy in Lucifenia. It'd be more convenient to have one spirit locate the vessel and another one help deal with the demon."

"You'd still be training two apprentices for a while first, though. That might prove to be a bit much for you."

"I can manage. I'll just tell the Lucifenian court that I've found two prospective apprentices, and they'll live with me at the palace for about a month. In that time I can teach and assess their skills to see who is better suited to which task."

"And how would you explain your abrupt loss of a pupil?" 

"Homesickness, or whatever. We'll make up something."

"Very well. I'll accept your request."

"Whoa, just like that? And I still had more arguments ready in case you were gonna be stubborn about it."

"The 'Vessels of Deadly Sin’ were born from this forest. As the creator of the forest, I am by all means responsible for them and all the havoc they have wrought. But I cannot move to recover them myself. That's why I asked you to do it. Besides, it seems like you really could use some help. Who know how many more centuries it'll take you? It's already been five." 

"I get it, I gotta work harder. Sheesh." Ai complains. "So which two lucky spirits will it be?" 

"The first shall be Roboppy. As for the second...would you be willing to go, Earth?"

"Um?" I hadn't expected them to notice that I was still here.

"This is your chance to learn more about human culture. What do you say?"

I can hardly believe it. An opportunity to really interact with the human world. "Yes, I will go." 

"Then it's settled. Ai, be sure to bring Earth and Roboppy back in three years time."

"Roger that."

And so me, Roboppy, and Ai bid farewell to Sunavalon. 

We follow Ai through the forest until we reach a spot he deems suitable for performing reincarnation magic.

"Ah, this should do the trick." He draws a couple of weird symbols on the ground, and directs Roboppy and I to hover over them.

"So what happens now?" Roboppy asks. They can barely contain their excitement.

"Well first you need to think up an appearance for yourself. Try thinking of people you've seen for a basis. If you want to copy someone's exact visage then it should be someone who's been dead for at least 200 years. Can't have clones walking about or for people to think grandpa burst out of the grave, after all."

"And we both shouldn't choose the same looks, right?"

"Naturally. And one more thing, you're not allowed to be more attractive than me. I'm the sexy wizard around here." Ai gives a flourish of his cape, as if to reinforce his point.

Roboppy groans. "Awwwww man. That cuts out most of the good options."

"Don't be fucking rude." Ai scolds. 

Roboppy and I think up what we believe would be acceptable human appearances. We double check that they aren't identical, and then tell Ai we're ready to reincarnate.

"Ok, let's begin." 

I can't understand the words that leave his mouth as he starts reciting spells, but I can feel my consciousness begin to drift upwards.

Above the treetops.

Above the atmosphere.

Higher and higher, further past anything remotely alive.

A brief pause.

And I started to fall.

The speed of my descent makes everything a blur.

My consciousness ebbs away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "acceptable human appearances" lol. i'm too lazy to actually come up with a design for soltis earth, but not going with 'taking the appearance of the original sinner' either. as for who the 'original sinner' was........ :3


	4. section 2 - Roboppy -

_Roboppy ~Elphegort, Millennium Tree Forest~_

Sunavalon gave me important information to pass onto Earth about our reincarnation and tutelage under Ai Clockworker.

Long ago, there had been an argument between the four pillar gods; 

Playmaker, god of the sun,

Sunavalon, god of the land,

and Nasch and Merag, the twin dragon gods.

What was the cause of their quarrel? Sunavalon did not say.

As a result of this fight, Nasch and Merag took the form of a terrible two-headed dragon, and attempted to lay waste to the world the four of them had worked so hard to build.

They were stopped by Playmaker and Sunavalon, and sealed away inside an ark, the 'Silent Honor.' 

In time, humans built a large temple around the ark.

The twins plotted their escape. 

They instructed the king of the Levianta, Prophet Stardust, to share a prediction of the future. One that foretold a catastrophe beyond the likes anyone had ever seen, that could only be stopped by the birth of the 'Twins of God,' divine reincarnations of Nasch and Merag themselves.

The 'Twins of God' would actually just be vessels for Nasch and Merag to move their souls into, allowing them to leave behind their dragon body and the ark.

But 'Project MA' began in Levianta anyway.

Years passed, yet Nasch and Merag remained sealed in the ark. They grew impatient waiting for their vessels to be born, and took a more direct approach.

A young woman, Pandor Clockworker, had lost her fiancé. Spurred by grief, she heard a voice and followed every instruction it gave.

"Take the body to the 'Silent Honor' in the temple. Rewind time, and your love will be brought back to life."

Maybe she thought the voice was her dead fiancé, Ai Chirclatia. But it was just the twin gods deceiving her.

Pandor placed Ai's corpse before the ark, and performed the 'Clockwork Secret Art.'

If everything went according to plan, distorting space-time would unseal the ark and Nasch and Merag would be free.

But something went wrong. Very wrong.

There was a giant explosion. The ark was destroyed. 

Nasch's and Merag's souls were expelled from their dragon body.

The two-headed dragon, now soulless, tried to continue what it had been doing just before being sealed. Destroy the world.

But the body couldn't sustain itself for long, and soon the dragon disintegrated, leaving behind nothing but a Levianta fallen into ruin. 

The explosion and the destruction in the wake of the rampaging dragon became known as 'Zero Reverse.'

The souls of the twin gods and embedded themselves into Ai's corpse, effectively reincarnating. 

But whenever a reincarnation happens, all previous memories are sealed. That's the rule.

Nasch's soul awoke in Ai's body. He assumed Ai's memories as his own, and that was the beginning of the Eternal Sorcerer, Ai Clockworker.

Merag's soul remains slumbering.

"Should Nasch regain his true memories or Merag awaken, you and Earth must seal them again. Those two hold a grudge, and will likely try to finish their vengeance."

"They'd still want to destroy the world after all this time?" I had asked her. 

"They are quite spiteful." Sunavalon admitted. "Neither Playmaker nor I ever foresaw the outcome of the decision we made so long ago. But while he tends to the rice fields up in the Heavenly Yard, I can at least try to-" 

She stops herself from saying more. 

"I understand, Sunavalon. But what will me and Earth do about our memories when we reincarnate into humans?"

"Yes, they will be sealed. But I will create backups for the two of you, and overwrite your memories into your new bodies. That way, Nasch won't suspect a thing."

This whole apprentice gig is actually quite a convenient guise for a better safeguard against further calamity.

"But first I have to go find Earth, right?"

"Correct, child. I suspect he should be in Yatski Village. It's the human settlement closest to the Lake of Amusement."

Sunavalon's branches droop as she sighs in discontent. 

"That child's naivety, honestly..." She summons a light breeze to rustle the leaves in the canopy. "And for all your silliness, you are surprisingly adept, Roboppy."

"Awwww, and for someone who acts so senile, you're really a big softy."

"It warms my heart to hear you think my being senile is just an act."

"Wait, it's not?" 

"Just go. I will be awaiting your return."

"Ok. Be back soon!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i put the zexal references in the wine. and the pasta. and i will pepper in the 5ds as well. and throw in some ai/pandor while i'm at it. idk what the proper ship name is but in my heart it will always be naybeeshipping.
> 
> -  
> also i'm sorry for never responding to any comments ever, i get overwhelmed and don't know what to say. (...maybe from now on i should at least try?) thanks to everyone who reads, gives a kudos, comments, and more. <3


	5. section 3

_Earth ~Lucifenian Palace, Guest Room~_

"Earth, Earth! Time to get up!!" Roboppy shouts as they pull the pillow out from beneath my head. 

My skull plops against the mattress, jolting me out of my half-awake half-asleep state.

"Ack, I am up, I'm getting up." I say as I throw the covers off myself. 

Roboppy hands me back the pillow, and I hug it as I sit up in bed to look out the window. The sun has barely risen over the horizon.

"Hehe, c'mon! Let's go wake up Ai!" they bounce up and down excitedly. 

"I don't think he'd appreciate us waking him up so early."

"Oh he definitely won't. That's why we're doing it."

I don't know what it is, but reincarnating seems to have made Roboppy even more sparky than they were as a spirit. Their appearance as an adolescent of maybe thirteen or fourteen certainly fit that youthful energy. 

However, I've had a harder time adjusting to my human body. For a while at first, even standing and walking was painful. Ai calls it one of the downsides of having chosen to "look like such a himbo." Whether that refers to this body's physical age, which I've estimated to be about sixteen or seventeen, or it's stature, I'm not sure.

Learning the biorhythms of when to eat and sleep weren't very intuitive to me either. Thankfully, Ai has been a patient teacher, and no one here at the palace pries too much into me or Roboppy's seemingly strange behavior. As apprentices learning magic, perhaps that excuses some of our quirks. 

"Fine, I suppose we can. He might stay in bed all day if we don't." I set down the pillow and leave my comfy bed to stand on the cold stone floor. The sheet and blanket get folded and placed by the pillow. 

"Don't forget your shoes." Roboppy reminds me as they struggle fastening their capelet. They've sat back down on their bed, next to a heaping nest of blankets. 

"I won't. Do you need help with that?" I ask them as they grimace at the metal clasp.

"No, I'll get it eventually."

"Okay." 

But scanning the floor of the room, I can't see my boots anywhere. "Roboppy have you seen my boots?"

"Nope. I think you might've accidentally packed them away with the rest of your stuff yesterday." 

"That sounds like something I would've done." And opening the trunk at the foot of my bed, there are the boots I've been looking for. After putting them on and tying the laces, I close the lid of the trunk.

"Aaaand got it!" Roboppy leaps off their bed and does a little twirl, testing to make sure their capelet stays secure. "Alright, let's go let's go!"

Roboppy swings open the door leading out into the hallway, and we exit the guest room. Ai's room is down the hall, and Roboppy takes off at a sprint towards it.

I take my time to pass through the hall. We've been living in the Lucifenian Palace for about a month, but today this is going to be one of my last times walking through here.

Despite me and Roboppy having the same amount of innate magical talent, Roboppy has demonstrated more prowess at combat magic than I have. The 'Clockwork Secret Art' that Ai wants to use to remove the demon from Prince Windy is a highly specialized variation of combat magic. So they will be the one to stay here to in Lucifenia to further hone their skills, and I will go back to Elphegort to find the 'Vessel of Deadly Sin' there. 

"Knock knock, rise and shine teach!" Roboppy says as they bang their knuckles against the door to Ai's room.

Catching up to them, we both wait outside the door.

"He's not answering." my friend pouts as they tap the wooden floor with their heels.

I press my ear against the door. "I don't hear anything. He must still be asleep." 

"I'll try knocking again." Roboppy puffs up with a big inhale and stands on their tip-toes before rapidly punching the door.

There's a faint noise that sounds a bit like a stack of books falling over, followed by a string of curses. The door opens to reveal a slightly peeved and tired looking Ai. 

"Good grief you two," our teacher yawns. "Now I get why Sunavalon sleeps so much."  
  
"Good morning, Ai." 

"Yes, good morning Earth." he replies as he wipes his eyes and yawns again.

"Don't forget about me!" Roboppy pouts.

"Uh-huh, good morning to you too, Roboppy." Ai gives them a quick pat on the head to muss their hair, and my friend responds with a giddy grin.

"Earth finished packing last night, so he's all ready to set out back to Elphegort!" Roboppy reports as they unruffle their hair.

"Is he, now..." Ai hmmms. "Then I hope he wouldn't mind giving us one last performance to demonstrate all that he's learned, before he leaves." He looks towards me, and I nod.

"Eh!? We're not gonna have breakfast together first?" Roboppy looks scandalized.

"Not today, I'm afraid. Earth would probably do better with less pressure on his nerves." Ai explains.

"Sorry Roboppy. I'll be quick, promise."

"Okay." It sounds a bit sulkier than they mean it too.

We head off to the training yard. Later in the day it would usually be busier, but it's so early that there's just the night-watch retiring from their shift. 

"Alright Earth, ready when you are." Ai says as the morning sun's rays begin to take the chill out of the air.

"5, 6, 7, now!" I count myself off, and begin to dance.

The most important aspect of location magic is channeling the rhythm from your body towards what you want to find. There's been various methods for doing this in the past, like singing, musical instruments, even whistling. Or at least that's what Ai had tried to teach Roboppy and me. We didn't have much luck with those. Dancing was a bit of a last ditch effort, as it's the most finicky form of location magic. 

Through the ground, a faint bounce of my own magic returns to me, distorted after having come into contact with the "Vessel of Deadly Sin." I stop dancing, one knee knelt and both hands pressed into the dirt.

"Found it. The vessel." I say between heaves of breath.

"Excellent. Where did you find it?" Ai asks.

"To the north. Past Sunavalon's Forest. In a place where there's lots of people." 

"Very good. That matches what I've sensed and my hunches."

"Is something special over there that the vessel would be in that place?" Roboppy pipes up.

"Indeed there is. Along the northern border of Elphegort lies its capital city, Aceid." Our teacher replies. "And t-" His usual laid back demeanor disappears for a second upon looking at something. I follow his line of sight to see what it is.

"Ai, what the hell?" The captain of the royal guard, Go Onizuka asks gruffly. Next to him stands a boy with a worried expression wearing a servant's uniform. He looks a bit older than Roboppy does. Around fifteen, if I had to guess. 

"Whatever is the problem, my dear Go?" Ai smiles cordially at his old friend, who scowls back at him. 

"You know you're supposed to notify me before you use the training yard."

Ai grits his teeth. "Ah shit, I knew I was forgetting something. Well, dance practice is over. We'll be off."

"Dance practice?" Captain Go cracks a slight grin. "Is that why were staring out through the window so intently?" he nudges the servant boy with his elbow. 

"Oh I bet it was. Roboppy's caught him doing it a few times before." Ai smirks back.

The servant boy's cheeks flush scarlet, and he sputters something indecipherable. It sounded a bit like "No I didn't" though.

"Yep yep you did! I caught you~" Roboppy adds with a giggle.

The three of them seem very amused by something about this servant boy's reaction...I don't get it. 

"Okay, come along apprentices. Go and Echo are busy people." Ai waves, and has to practically tug Roboppy out of the yard by their capelet. They haven't stopped giggling yet.

"Can you finish explaining about Aceid? You got cut off earlier." I ask once we've walked a good distance away from training yard.

"Over breakfast. You look like you could really use it." Ai comments.

"I'm fine. This is just fatigue, when your body gets warm and your head aches a bit, right?"

"It could be, or it could be symptoms of something a little worse. You know, Earth, we could hold off your departure for a few days. So you can be in tip-top shape for your adventure."

"I'll be okay." I insist.

"Still, you seem kind of pale. I'll make some medicinal tea to go with your breakfast." 

"Ooooooh, can I have some tea too?" Mentioning food seems to have grabbed Roboppy's attention.

"Of course."

Arriving at the kitchens, we quickly make our meal then head back to Ai's room to eat. 

"So, as to where in Aceid the vessel might be. There's Elphegort's royal palace, or perhaps one of the public or private museums. And we can't rule out that some wealthy individual might be keeping it in their private collections." Ai explains as he mixes the herbs for my tea.

"Wow...that's lots of places to look." Ropobby takes a bite of their food.

"Yes, as Elphegort's capital city it does have its fair share of fancy item hoarders. Not as bad as it is over in Marlon, but still..." He adds the herbs to a cup then pours hot water over them. 

"I've got my work cut out for me, in other words."

"That's putting it bluntly." Ai passes me the cup, and I down the liquid in one gulp. Based on some of the other strange mixtures Ai makes, I'm better off not tasting this medicine.

"Atta boy. That should help you feel better in no time. Now, in order to get to Aceid..." He unrolls a map and begins pointing out various locations. "I'd say it's pretty straightforward" His index finger points to a line on the paper. 

"Uh-huh." I nod.

"Excellent."

Finishing our meal, I retrieve my trunk from the guest room. 

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?" Roboppy looks concerned as we all walk to one of the palace gates. 

"Never better. I'm more worried for you. You have the hard job."

"Hehe, I guess." 

"I'm sure you'll both do fine." Our teacher reassures us. "Before we know it you'll both be spirits living with Sunavalon again, and this whole fiasco will be behind us."

Reaching the gate, we exchange hugs.

"Be safe. And good luck!"

"Good luck!" Waving goodbye, I began my walk to Aceid. 

* * *

_Earth ~Elphegort, Millennium Tree Forest~_

The warmth that was in my forehead has spread across my whole body.

Each footstep hurts. It's like when I first reincarnated all over again.

My eyes don't want to stay open.

But I have to keep going.

Far away, it sounds like someone is screaming. A woman for her children. A man for his life. Children for their parents.

Or it could be the ringing in my ears.

How long have I been walking for?

The scenery starts to melt together. Dark and blurry.

If I can make it a little further, the trees will be familiar again. The same ones I used to race through as a spirit. 

From there, I'll get to Aceid no problem.

Another step. One more.

I can make it.

The exhaustion wins, and I fall.

* * *

_Earth ~Elphegort, Yatski Village, Spectre's House~_

I wake up staring at a ceiling I've seen before. This is the house where Spectre lives. And Spectre is sitting in a chair besides me.

But how did I get here? I was walking through the forest to get to Aceid, then... A sudden burst of pain erupts in my forehead. I jolt upright.

"Please lie back down. Your fever hasn't fully broken yet."

"Fever..." I mumble, and slowly set my head back onto the cushion.

"Sorry if it's uncomfortable. The couch is broken in some places." He averts his gaze towards the floor. 

"It's very comfy. Don't apologize."

Spectre places a wet cloth over my forehead. It's cold, but not unpleasantly so. The pain numbs.

"It looks like you're in a lot of pain. You were convulsing on the ground when I found you."

"I...not that much pain." I manage to say.

"What were you doing out in the woods?" 

"I was going to Aceid." 

"From where?"

"Lucifenia."

"Why didn't you take the main road?"

Main road...that sounds like one of the things Ai was talking about with the map. I hadn't understood earlier, so I figured I would just go through the forest. But how to explain that to Spectre...

"Umm, for the scenery."

Spectre's eyebrows raise a little. "The forest is beautiful, but it's not worth dying over. If you'd collapsed on the main road someone surely would see you. Alone in the forest, why, who knows how long it would be before someone found you."

"Then I guess I'm lucky you did, S- say, my name's Earth. What's yours?"

"...Spectre."

That was close. I look around the room. Through the window I see that the sun's gone down already. My trunk is sitting besides the table, but aside from that it doesn't seem to have changed much from when I was here last as a bird. But no one is supposed to know about that. 

"Where is this?"

"You're in Yatski Village, close to the Lake of Amusement." he replies. "Not too far from Aceid."

Neither of us say anything for a while after that. I kind of miss our conversations from when I was a bird. Spectre seems much more guarded now than he was then. But I can't seem to carry this conversation either.

The door to the other room opens and Spectre's mother enters, holding a bowl. "The soup is done, get a bowl for yourself." she says to her son.

"I forgot about the pot of soup..." Spectre quietly seems to berate himself for that. He gets up, and his mother sits down in the chair where he'd been sitting.

"So Earth, do you think you'd be able to sit up and eat?" Spectre's mother asks.

Did she recognize my voice? I don't know if I sound the same as when I was a spirit. Roboppy's voice changed a little bit. She could've overheard me introducing myself...

"Yes, I think I can. Thank you." I slowly sit up and take the bowl from her hands.

"Careful, it's hot."

Lifting the bowl to my mouth, I gulp down some of the broth and vegetables. "It's-"

There's a loud knock on the door, accompanied by what sounds like something clattering to the floor in the other room.

"Open up!" A voice outside the house shouts.

Spectre's mother gets up to open the door. An old man walks in, an angry expression on his face.

"Out of the way. Where's that damned brat you call a son?" he barks at Spectre's mother.

"He's here. Whatever seems to be the matter today, sir?" She smiles, but it looks like these pleasantries are forced.

"Don't play stupid with me. Your rent is overdue." He holds up his arm and taps his wristwatch in front of her face. "I was generous and gave you two extra time to pay, but time's up. If you can't pay, I have to evict you."

Spectre walks in from the other room. 

"You, boy. Where's the money?"

Time seems to pass incredibly slowly as Spectre remains quiet, unable to reply.

"Well, got anything to say for yourself?" The rent collector yells, having grown fed up with the silence.

"Excuse me," I set the soup bowl down on table. 

The old man looks surprised. I don't think he noticed my presence until now. "W-who the fuck are you?" he stammers.

I ignore him. "Spectre, can you please bring my trunk to me?"

Spectre quickly crosses the room and lugs the trunk over to the couch. I open it and rummage through one of the compartments until I find what I'm looking for. I bring about a palmful of shiny grey coins with rust-coloured borders out and put them next to the soup bowl.

"Is this enough?" I ask.

"Lucifenian minted coins...it's more than enough."

Ai told me to be cautious when spending money. I think this is a worthwhile expense.

"Then put it towards the next payment and leave. You're making my headache worse."

"What's a moneybags like you doing playing good samaritan out in this backwater village?"

"Because they helped me. Can't I repay a favor?"

"Why you-!"

The rent collector scoops up the coins and scurries off. I breathe a sigh of relief. Good riddance.

"I'm so sorry about this Mr. Earth I promise I'll do something I can-" Spectre seems to have found his voice again.

"Breathe, son." His mother gently chides him. 

"You don't have to apologize. And just 'Earth' is fine. No 'mister.'" I tell him and gulp down some more soup.

"But you paid so much money...There must be some other way we can help you."

"Now that you mention it..." I was supposed to use part of the money to find lodging. "Can I ask something a little selfish?"

"Ask away."

"Is it alright if I live here for a while?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mmmm this fic can fit so much contrived nonsense in it. i always thought the fever dream screams were a moonlit bear reference. i added a bit of tale of abandonment on a moonlit night for fun.


	6. section 4

_Earth ~Elphegort, Yatski Village~_

“So you were living in Lucifenia before you wound up here?”

“Uh-huh.” I nod while tying up another bundle of wheat. 

“Wow, that's so cool! I've heard about many cool things there, like there's the salons where all the famous painters gather and this opera house with lots of seats and chandeliers and-”

The girl I'm talking to is a chatterbox. She carries entire conversations all by herself, which might bother me if I was a better at conversing. Being able to input a yes or no every so often is fine with me. 

I haven't been able to pick up on her name, though she probably mentioned it at some point. I'm pretty sure she's the same girl that called Spectre a bird brain when my wing was broken. 

Listening to her, I've found out that Yatski Village's primary source of income is through selling trauben fruit, explaining all the trauben farms by the lake. There are also wineries associated with the farms, each specializing in different types of wine. Just decades ago, Yatski L'Opera wine was so popular that its sales alone were enough to feed and maintain the village. As it fell out of fashion and demand dropped, the village realized how overdependent it had become on the wine sales. It sought to diversify the kinds of crops it grew in order to be more self-sufficient. The communal vegetable plot was a result of those efforts, as well as fields of wheat and barley like the one I'm working in now. 

During a good harvest year, there's more than enough trauben fruit to sell and for the wineries to ferment. Enough that the villagers don't tend to the other fields with much care. Why grow foodstuffs when it's easier to buy it. But this year hasn't been so great. Low temperatures caused a low yield. What did manage to grow wasn't very high quality, so it can't be sold for as much. 

And yet however bleak it is here, it isn't as bad as it is over in Lucifenia. Consecutive years of crop failure were a problem even while Queen Yubel was still alive. Their death only added to the tension in the country. Ai had explained as much during our lessons, so when the girl asked if the bad harvests are the reason why I moved to Elphegort, I told her that it's part of it.

I stand and lean backwards to straighten out my back after being hunched over for so long. This human spine gets so sore. It makes me miss my spirit form at times. Looking over the rows and rows of wheat that still needs to be harvested makes the ache feel worse.

Humankind truly is ingenious in their methods trying to escape scarcity. But nature is not so easily overcome; with its harsh sun, blustery winds, freezing cold, and aching backs. For all of Sunavalon's laments that humans rule the land the gods created, humans are still incredibly dependent on nature. 

“Yet not dependent enough to visit.” I imagine she'd grumble.

The long shadows cast onto the ground and the dip of the red sun below the horizon tell us it's time to head home for the day. My companion continues her long monologue about nothing in particular as we walk on the dirt path back to the village. As we near the fork in the path where it splits between the way to Spectre's house and the way to the rest of the neighborhood, she stops in her tracks and turns on her heel, a serious expression on her face.

"By the way Earth, I know that you're living under his roof and all, but you don't have to go out of your way to be nice to him." she says.

"Who? Spectre?"

Her face twists into a grimace at the sound of his name. "Yeah, him. I mean who else would I be talking about?"

"Why should I not be kind to him?" 

"Because he's, well, you know..." Her voice trails off. 

She wouldn't stop talking earlier. What could it be for her to suddenly be at a loss for words?

"I do not know." 

The girl bites her bottom lip and her eyes dart around. She lets out a long sigh before continuing. "Listen, you seem to be a reasonable person. I'm sure you could find someplace else to room for a lot cheaper than what you're paying now, and it'd be a better quality place too. Hanging around Spectre is like waiting for trouble to find you. Believe me, he's bad news."

She leaves in a hurry before I can ask her what she means. 

With her odd warning in mind, I arrive near the wooden gate to the communal vegetable garden. Leaning forwards against the fence posts I give a shout. “Spectre! Time to go home for the day!” 

Spectre looks up from the plants he'd been kneeling by. I smile and give a wave, but he only slowly stands before walking over. 

“How was your day?” I try asking as he opens the gate to let himself out then re-latches it. 

“The trowel handle broke off again. I'll have to fix it tomorrow before harvesting the rest of the parsnips and turnips. And it looks like the deer are hopping the fence again.” 

“But didn't those flowers we planted to ward the critters away work?”

“It did, for a little while. I guess the deer felt emboldened.” He shrugs. 

“We could try planting some more of the flowers tomorrow.” I suggest, but Spectre shakes his head no. 

“Let's just go home for now. I'm tired.”

Most of the walk is silent, but I try to come up with something to say. Something to cheer up Spectre after his bad day. 

...Roboppy and Ai always had a fun story to tell to fill the silence. Hearing them discuss their days would lift my mood when I felt down. “Shenanigans,” they called it. Maybe if I talk about what I did today, that might help Spectre feel better.

“Uh, today I, ummm...” 

Spectre stops in his tracks to look back at me. “Something the matter?”

Something about his gaze makes me freeze up for a second. Snap out of it me, I'm supposed to be comforting him right now, not the other way around!

“No, not at all. Just,” Deep breaths, Earth, you can do this, “was helping in the wheat field again all afternoon. I finally graduated from whetstone carrying duty.”

“Oh really? How wonderful for you.” He says dryly.

“Yeah, they've got me helping make the shocks now.”

“Mm.”

“And um, well, uh.” C'mon, what can I say? "They weren't kidding when they say it's backbreaking stuff, were they?" 

At this, Spectre's expression quickly changes to one of worry. "You've been in pain and you didn't say anything? Why didn't you mention it sooner, we need to hurry home so you can rest. Drat, I knew that couch was uncomfortable, I'm so sorry that it's the only place we have for you to sleep. Do you need me to help you walk? Here, give me your arm."

He steps forward and extends a hand, but I step back.

"Spectre I'm fine. The couch is fine. The farm work is hard, but it's not too bad." I insist. 

"Are you sure?" He doesn't look convinced.

"Absolutely. I'm fit as a, whatchamacallit ummm, a cello!"

"A cello?"

"No, that's not right. It's smaller than a cello...a fiddle! Fit as a fiddle, that's what I am." 

"...If you say so."

With that we resume on our way home, but this time I'm determined to keep up the conversation.

"Really, it hasn't been terrible living here. And no one here has shown any sign of wanting to chase me out of town yet. At least, I think so." Unless that girl's warning from earlier was supposed to be that. But I keep that bit to myself.

"I guess they haven't." Spectre's gaze turns towards the ground. "In fact, the whole village seems to be warming up to you."

"Ah hahaha," I laugh nervously. "Do you think so?" This might be a sore topic for him, since he doesn't get along well with them and he's lived here all his life. It must hurt for a complete stranger to come barging in and be welcomed more than him.

"Certainly. You've even won over Adalheidis. If she's nice to you, then everyone else must be too."

"That talkative girl? Is that her name?"

"You didn't know?" 

"That girl talks so fast I never caught her name."

"Well, that is part of her- speak of the devil."

We had reached Spectre's house, but waiting there for us was Adalheidis.

"You would be the one to know about devils, Spectre, wouldn't you." she sneers.

"What are you doing here?" I ask her.

"There's something I need to discuss with Spectre. Don't worry, it won't take long. Now, if you'll excuse us." Adalheidis motions for Spectre to follow her around the side of the house. 

He walks wordlessly behind her. The two of them vanish out of sight.

I place my hand on the doorknob and start to turn it, then stop. Something doesn't feel right about this. I walk to the corner of the house, careful to not be seen but still close enough to hear.

"-heard it from my father. He paid your rent and everything."

"Yes but-"

"Ha! You admit it! And you still try to lie and say you're not exploiting him."

"I'm not-"

"Shut up! You took advantage of a sick man and now you're making up excuses to try and convince yourself that you didn't. That you're some 'good samaritan' or whatever you're fooling yourself into thinking. I bet you're the one that caused Earth to collapse in the first place. It was all a set up for you to rob him."

"I couldn't do such a thing."

"I don't believe that. You've brought nothing but bad luck to everyone ever since that stupid woman you call a mother brought you to this town. The early frost, the bad harvest, it's all your fault!"

"It wasn't-"

"Your real parents knew better and left you for dead, but noooo. She had to go and 'save you.'" Adalheidis says sarcastically. "Now she's sick and dying and you know what? She deserves it for bringing you here. A good child dies in the woods after being abandoned by their parents. Only cursed, sinful children would dare still live. So tell me Spectre, are you a good child, or are you cursed?"

Spectre stands in stunned silence. His mouth moves, but no words are formed.

"Say something!" She raises her arm with the intent to strike.

Before I knew it I was standing in between the two of them, her raised arm caught in my fist. 

The two of them look as shocked as I feel.

"I think we can settle this peacefully, don't you?" I ask Adalheidis. 

She yanks her arm away and clutches at her wrist with her other hand. "Hmph." is her final word before stomping off indignantly.

Once she disappears, Spectre immediately begins apologizing. "Earth I'm so so sorry it was rude and disrespectful of me to make you get involved with that."

"Hey, you have nothing to apologize for."

"But-"

"Don't dwell on anything she just said. None of it is true. You're a good person, and the two of us are friends, got it?"

"We're...friends?"

"Yes."

"But I, I've never had friends before." 

"Uhhh..." Does that mean that he doesn't want to be friends? No, that's not it. What would Ai say in this situation? What would Roboppy do? "Now is a good time to start, then?" I extend my hand. Spectre does the same, and we shake hands.

He looks at his palm after we both let go.  
  
"Friends, huh? A handshake feels so formal, though."

"Is it? How about a, uh, what's it called when two people-" I clap my hands together.

"A high five?"

"Yeah, that's it! Let's do that." 

I hold up my open palm. Spectre brings up his as well, and we try to get them to meet. His palm ends up colliding with my wrist. 

"Uhhh.."

"Um, try again?"

The second high five is successful. 

"Let's go inside now. The sun has already set, and it's starting to get cold."

"We have to get started making dinner too. I think I've almost perfected my soup making technique." 

"I'm looking forward to it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i've been [static noises]. 
> 
> *turns the radio knob until the static clears
> 
> and welcome back to the “how I changed the plot to suit this fic” show! adalheidis is an OC that takes the combined roles of two characters from the original story, chelsea (the resident mean girl) and ein (the obligatory hetero romance bait). i didn't feel like giving those roles to anyone from vrains or any other ygo series either.

**Author's Note:**

> translations sourced are [closure-of-yellow](https://closure-of-yellow.tumblr.com) AND   
> [weigenlied-of-green](https://wiegenlied-of-green.tumblr.com)


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